Glass House by Nico van der Meulen Architects

Here’s another exquisite Nico van der Meulen Architect design in a horseshoe shape, set around a gorgeous central water feature. The house itself is situated on one acre (4,000 square meters), with an under-roof area of 2,068 square meters.

“The Americans refer to this as a Glass House, the Brits call it a Glass home, but in South Africa, it’s a Glass Castle – a colloquialism that does no justice to this titanic tribute to transparent architecture. What you’re about to see will re-define the word modern contemporary!” — Top Billing TV

After demolishing the existing house, the current owners were interested in a custom-designed glass and concrete home, which had to be ‘modern, glamorous, open plan, light-filled, and has views from all rooms into the garden’.

Without a doubt, this contemporary mansion made provision for an informal lifestyle on a grand scale!

Notice in the background how a circular raised glass water feature has the 2-storey high beam frame it, thereby obviating the need for any corner columns at the main (upstairs) bedroom.

On the south side, the shape is half-circle and develops into a horseshoe shape on the north side.

If one approaches the house from the gate, the driveway is constructed such that only glimpses through the house to garden and water feature on the other side of the property are visible.

How about that porte-cochère, which is a structure of suspended glass & stainless steel? The views from here are into the home, as well as steel and glass staircase (suspended over the pond), and the unusual, circular, raised glass water feature all the way in the back, framed by the 2-storey high beam.

You gotta love how the dining area is a few steps higher than the family room. Worth noting is the window to the dining area, which is a 6-meter high curved glass enclosure!

If you wonder about those frameless glass-folding doors from the dining room, wrapping around the family room, lanai and indoor pool (plus gym), it stretches for 70 meters!

The gorgeous kitchen is adjacent to the family & dining rooms, connected via frameless, sandblasting doors, which lead from the dining into the kitchen.

A lovely atrium separates, or connects rather, the family room and kitchen, which allows for ventilation for its guests, as well as naturally cools down the house, without jeopardizing the premise’s security.

A small sunken formal lounge can be seen on the right, while on the left, there’s a lift tower cladded in timber.

Have you seen how the walls to the family room (and bar area) are cladded with marble strips, glass inlays and LED strip lights?

The outdoor pool with deck, flowing over into a kiddies pool at the bottom, is reached via the lanai. Furthermore, the downstairs has parking for twelve cars, views into the pool, and a top-lit art gallery (which forms the passage between the lift and garages).

A tree aloe is growing in front of the feature wall cladding in stone from Jerusalem. A similar stone is used in the dining area, thereby ‘flowing through’ the glass wall towards the outside space.

On top of the staircase, you’ll find the study, which is a glass box, overlooking the pools below. Right next to it, there’s a large playroom with intimate home theatre and small kitchen.

Via a gallery, one can reach the main bedroom, which looks down into the dining area and garden. Pay attention to the main bathroom constructed in glass & transparency, where the north + east glass walls slide open (while respecting its privacy), allowing for views and ventilation, yet being translucent from the outside.

One could jump from the main bedroom into the pool, then swim towards the gym, swim back and continue the steel spiral staircase to head back to the main bedroom.

The main bedroom has a partially-covered large balcony, with a staircase towards the roof will allow enjoying views over the surrounding suburbs and of course Midrand itself.

Interesting to note that the double-volume glass enclosure over the pool is adjustable, thereby letting a cooling updraft over the pool, somewhat like a cooling chimney effect over the living areas.